Challenging homestand ahead with Nuggets, Suns, Blazers

NBA teams typically don’t circle dates on the calendar, but the Orlando Magic understand the importance of their next three games.

As a daunting road trip looms, the Magic will face the Nuggets, Suns and Trail Blazers — three of the top teams in the Western Conference — this week at Amway Center. Orlando cannot look at one game as more important than another, but its postseason prospects likely will gain more clarity after this homestand.

“Every game for us going forward is very critical,” Magic center Nikola Vucevic said.

The stretch begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday against the Nuggets, then the Magic will face the Suns at 8 p.m. Wednesday. Orlando closes the homestand Friday night at 8 against the Trail Blazers. Fox Sports Florida will broadcast the contests.

The home games precede a five-game Western trip that will take Orlando to Los Angeles for two games, then New Orleans, Utah and Denver from March 28-April 4.

The Magic, who have seen key players recently return from injuries, continue to believe they can make a push for an Eastern Conference play-in spot, but this stretch of games likely will go a long way toward a resolution on that front. If Orlando fails to find traction in the win column and gain ground — or at the very least not lose any — the postseason will be a long shot. The window is barely cracked open now.

With the Pacers (19-22) and Bulls (19-22) sitting ninth and 10th, respectively, in the standings as of Monday, the Magic (14-28) find themselves games out of a play-in spot.

At their current winning percentage of .463, the Pacers and the Bulls are on pace to finish with 34 wins.

To reach the 34-win mark, the Magic will need to go 20-10 over their final 30 games. It’s doable, but unlikely, considering their opponents’ combined winning percentage sits at .521, as of Monday. That is the most difficult remaining schedule in the East.

The level of difficulty will be on display this week at Amway. If the Magic hope to have any chance to reach the playoffs for the third straight season, they almost assuredly need a sweep.

“Obviously, this stretch with those three teams coming into our building, it’s going to be very hard,” Vucevic said. “Hopefully we can get some wins. If we don’t, then it’s going to get very complicated for us even thinking about the playoffs.”

It won’t be easy. The Nuggets, Suns and Trail Blazers are a combined 23-7 in their past 30 games prior to Monday’s contests, and they all rank in the top 11 in points per game.

Denver (25-17) features MVP candidate Nikola Jokic, who ranks in the top 10 in scoring (27.1 ppg), rebounding (8.3 rpg) and assists (8.6 apg), sharpshooter Jamal Murray (21.1 ppg) and second-year athletic forward Michael Porter Jr. (15.9 ppg). Each is shooting at least 41.1% from the 3-point line.